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IAPB Launches new ‘Eye Health Leaders’ Award

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The ‘Eye Health Leaders’ awards 2013 will recognise and celebrate eye health professionals with the vision and potential to lead the eye health sector in the future.

The awards will recognise tomorrow's leaders who will be pivotal in our efforts to achieve universal eye health coverage. 4 out of 5 visually impaired people are avoidably so. Research shows that every dollar spent on eye health has a two-fold return on investment - in developing countries there is a four-fold return. The eye health leaders recognised this year will be part of a cohort driving IAPB’s concerted effort to eliminate avoidable blindness and support the needs of those with permanent sight loss in the future.

Nominations are expected to come in from 120 organisations from around the world, including virtually every major international eye health NGO, global apex bodies for both ophthalmology and optometry, disabled persons’ organisations, academic institutions and concerned corporations, all working together to eliminate avoidable blindness and visual impairment worldwide.

The L’OCCITANE Foundation will sponsor the eye health leader awards, including travel bursaries for 2 nominees who will be selected from the final list. Speaking about the awards, Charlotte Bonnet, Projects and Communications Manager, said “We are excited to partner with IAPB in recognising tomorrow’s talent, particularly in the field of the fight against blindness in the developing countries in which we are involved. It is an important initiative and recognises the eye health sector’s key strength – its people”.

“IAPB believes the awards are an excellent opportunity to nurture and recognise future leaders of the eye health sector. We are also delighted that the L’OCCITANE Foundation will support the awards at IAPB’s Council of Members meetings. The meetings are a great place for nurturing dialogue and mapping progress within the eye care sector”, said Joanna Conlon, IAPB’s Director of Development.

ENDS

About IAPB

The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) is the coordinating membership organisation leading international efforts in blindness prevention activities. IAPB’s mission is to eliminate the main causes of avoidable blindness and visual impairment by bringing together governments and non-governmental agencies to facilitate the planning, development and implementation of sustainable national eye care programmes.

The annual IAPB Council of Members meetings will be held this year in Brighton, UK from 14-17 September 2013, and is a membership-only event. For more information, please visit: www.iapb.org

About L’OCCITANE Foundation

With an average annual budget of € 1,000,000, the L'OCCITANE Foundation supports every year some fifteen projects focusing on support for the visually impaired and women’s entrepreneurship in Burkina Faso. For more information, please visit: http://fondation.loccitane.com